Truth about BBB - Better Business Bureau

You are correct,bbb does little to motivate most companies. That is why I normally file bbb and then go to the attorney generals office with copy of bbb complaint.

That's great advice. If a company does something wrong, file complaints everywhere and anywhere you can. It gets the company's name out there so that more people pay attention, and it gives a better chance that others thinking of doing business with them will learn about any shady practices.

And the Attorney General should always be on everyone's list of places to seek help. It's so great that there are so many helpful and informed people here, because there are a lot of things that aren't common knowledge that will really help people.

I'm not sure if this is okay, but there are no registration or purchase requirements, so I hope it's all right. Here is the link directly to the BBB listing on ripoffreport.com. If you can't get through, just keep refreshing the page. The site becomes very busy throughout the day.

ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff1343.htm

I have been there before.Loads of useful information.
Normally when a company is not performing,I recommend what I call the public complaint route. Bbb,ag,consumer protection agency,and any other government group that is responsible for regulating that type of business.

You have some good ideas.Share with the board as we have a lot of posters in trouble that need help.

FTC should be given the top priority when searching for any company. They have banned many companies from doing business after receiving loads of consumer complaints.

I have lately seen that The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is also a very good place to search for a big online scam.

Is there a list here on the site specifically of places to check any business's reputation before dealing with them? I haven't been able to find a consolidated list with links and addresses, but if someone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. If there isn't one, I'd be happy to compile one and keep it up to date for everyone.

You should always check a business with the law enforcement agencies in your area and their place of business. You will get the consumer feedbacks on specific companies with the attorney general's office. You can also do some searches in the FTC website.

Thanks for the advice. I didn't know that myself. I was always wondering how these companies, such crooked companies, to be allowed to operate.

this is what's so great bout internet.

I came across a site called SpeedyWord.com where you can praise or vent about services that you might have received that you found pleasant / unpleasant. You can ask for referrals there too... real people give you referrals. Much better than BBB. ;)

I don't necessarily have a problem with the fact that they receive payment from companies for good ratings(though not ethical maybe) but how they pretend they are some sort of government agency.

[QUOTE=Allura;148626]Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere, as I've searched and was unable to find it anywhere. I also didn't know if this was the place to post this, so, mods, please move this if necessary.

Throughout the forum, I often see mention of checking with the Better Business Bureau -- or BBB -- before dealing with a company. For decades, the BBB has been looked upon as a trusted source of information about good and bad businesses, as well as a protector of consumers everywhere.

Here are some commonly believed myths about the BBB.

Myth: They are government-controlled agencies.
Truth: BBB offices are privately owned and operated non-profit corporations.

Myth: A company in good standing with the BBB is a trustworthy company.
Truth: Most BBB offices have such lax policies that just having an offending business respond to that office itself about complaints is enough to give that company a "satisfied all complaints" rating. The BBB will not tell you what the past complaints are, no matter how serious, or how they were "satisfied".

Myth: If the BBB is a non-profit company, getting listed must be free to all businesses.
Truth: The BBB actually charges a fee to be listed and kept in good standing with them. There are many reports of business owners being threatened to join. They tell these business owners that they will not be able to tell people calling that the business has a satisfactory rating with them, implying that they would deliberately make it sound like the business was not to be trusted.

These are just a few of the things wrong with the BBB, and it worries me to see that so many people rely solely on what they say about a company to decide whether or not to deal with them. I am in no way saying to entirely avoid the BBB. All information is good information to help you make a decision, but please, please, please check every other source you can find. Take the time to do the research before you deal with any company, that includes the BBB.

If you'd like to read more about the facts and people's true experiences with the Better Business Bureau, please visit ripoffreport.com (another search tool you should add to your arsenal if you haven't already.) And remember, just because one person had a good or bad experience with someone or something doesn't mean you will have the same experience. Read everything you can, ask questions -- pose them to the companies and any past client of theirs that will speak to you -- and make the best decision based on what you know, not just what someone else tells you, no matter how trusted they are in the community.

Be careful out there![/QUOTE]

So true BBB is extorsion (spelling bad) at its best, if your a listed business all you have to do is say you dispute the claim and they remove it, if your not listed pay their fee become listed and they will remove it, they are a big joke and the peoplle should be informed about this.